yellow stripes?”
Blech! “No stripes,” he told her.
“So, I can do pink?”
“Yes, you can do pink.” Her devilish smile made him chuckle. Well played.
A minute or so passed before she announced, “Mommy doesn’t want you to do my hair today.”
He gasped, pretending offense. “She’s just jealous because I do a better job.” One time, he’d gotten the brush tangled in her hair and they’d had to cut it out. Another time, he’d attempted to braid it and Sage had to take her to the hairdresser to get the knots out. He had no intention of touching her hair. “Want me to braid it again?” he asked.
She considered it for a moment. “I don’t think Mommy would like that.”
“I know! I could curl it for you!” He could tell by her perplexed expression that she didn’t want him touching her hair but also didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“Mommy might get mad. Maybe tomorrow or next month,” she said, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
While Petal played upstairs, he took a quick shower. It had been a long time since he’d had to dress up for anything. Tonight, he was wearing slacks, a button-down, and a tie. Steele opted for cuts over coats, which was good because he didn’t own a coat. Carver was also standing up for Steele. Ax had to admit he was surprised by this. Yes, Carver was family, but he was also the asshole who’d spent years hating the club. Then there was LuLu. Not wanting to hurt feelings, she’d chosen her best friend, Meg, as her only bridesmaid. Meg was nuts. He’d made the mistake of getting hammered and fucking her one night. Talk about fatal attraction. She’d called him for weeks after, and he’d avoided her like the plague. LuLu finally had to step in and shut it down. Sage didn’t know about it, and he planned on keeping it that way.
They arrived at The Cave to find Sage waiting at the door.
“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered, giving her ruby-red lips a kiss. Her long, dark, normally straight hair was a riot of sexy curls. The deep-red dress molded perfectly to her tight, little body, and those sparkly gold heels made her legs go on for miles. His cock rubbed uncomfortably against the front of his pants. There was no way in hell that he was going to make it through the night without fucking her senseless.
“Montana’s waiting upstairs for you,” she told Petal. Once Petal was gone, she turned to him, and in that breathy fuck-me tone that drove him mad, she said, “After the ceremony, Mr. Easton, you’re mine.”
Fuck that. He reached for her. “We have time now.”
Laughing, she skirted his touch. “Oh, no, you don’t. I have too much to do.”
He was contemplating throwing her over his shoulder when Lucy appeared. “Ax, I need your help. Carver and your aunt are here. Can you help me steer them in the right direction?”
He wistfully watched Sage slip away. “Sure, where do you want them?”
“I’ll take Vicky downstairs to LuLu. Steele wants the men in the game room for a pre-wedding drink and cigar.”
“Hey, Cuz,” Ax cheerfully greeted Carver.
“Where is he?” Carver asked, his bored tone putting Ax’s teeth on edge. The fucker better not ruin this for Steele. Cop or not, Ax would take his ass down.
“Follow me.”
They entered the game room as Taz was making a toast. “Welcome to being pussy whipped, old man.”
Ax leaned against the wall. As he watched Steele prepare to take the biggest plunge of his life, he couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. Grizz would have loved LuLu. He would have loved seeing his son get hitched in the club he’d helped build. He would be proud of the man Steele had become.
“Better him than me,” Carver muttered.
“Not into women?” he asked.
Carver shot him a hard look. “Not into marriage.”
Ax winked at him. “Come on, just admit it. You like dick.”
“I do not!” Carver hissed.
“It’s time!” Lucy called from the doorway.
He moved past Carver, slapping him on the back. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”
“I’m not gay,” Carver growled as they stepped into the living room. Ax laughed when everyone turned to look at them.
The living room had been cleared of all furniture. A red carpet ran from the open French doors at the back of the room to the fireplace. Music played while people gathered on both sides of the carpet to wait for LuLu to make her grand entrance. He took his spot at the mantle beside